Will YSSY ever go 24 hours?
 

Badgery's Creek is not a convenient option for many Sydney-siders and, at one stage, discussions went for several decades without any noticeable progress. Despite local opposition I would still like to see YSSY go 24 hours if there is (a) demand and (b) capacity.

Unlikely to go 24 hours.
But I am sure there would be a demand for later return flights from Melbourne and Brisbane to Sydney
I have stayed overnight in Melbourne many times, when I could have easily caught a 10pm or later flight back to Sydney
but it’s not available.
International carriers would welcome greater operating hours.
I think the disadvantage for the airport would be the loss of the maintenance windows.
An extra 6 hours operational time could increase the airport capacity by 25%.

If aircraft become silent, YSSY may go 24 hours for passenger operations.

34L/R departures highly, highly unlikely, traversing the mostdensly populated areas of the country. I still recall the 1990s BA 747 go-around that led to even stricter curfew enforcement.

If Australia remains a democracy then the airport will never go 24/7.

Too many votes will be lost if it was even thought about. Seats would change hands and even governments might fall.

And there is no economic reason, now the Badgery's Creek is building and the noise envelope can be pushed west away from the city.

Sydney is and has always been a 24 hour operating airport, it’s a common misconception that it closes.

... but not for commercial passenger aircraft, as far as I know.

There is a curfew on RPT movements only, the same aircraft can fly freight without restriction.

Some can fly freight without restriction, like BAe146's and Saab 340's.
The B737, B747, B757 and B767 freighters can't fly through curfew unless they get dispensation.

Turboprops can also fly passengers 24/7 as well, so in theory QF could use its Dashes and VA it’s ATRs around the clock if they had markets wanting that. YSSY is also available 24/7 for emergencies, regardless of type or what’s on board, and of course for RFDS and NSW Ambulance aircraft. I think there are also some bizjets permitted during curfew, from memory.

Correct, plenty of passenger aircraft can use Mascot 24/7, as evidenced by Mr DeCaprio departing in a B200 to Canberra one New Year’s Eve so he could grab a 747 to Vegas. Used to love the old Queen Airs departing YSSY after curfew, making a mockery of the whole thing with their noise.

As a former authorised officer for dispensations I am pretty familiar with the curfew, and I have spent way too many night shifts in the tower or in approach/departures to know YSSY never closes. Under the current act, the list of aircraft permitted to operate unrestricted is somewhat extensive as far as corporate movements go:

BAe125-800B/ BAe125-1000A/ BAe125-1000B
BAe/ de Havilland/ Hawker Siddeley 125 Series 400A/ F3B/ F400B++/ F403B/ F600B**/ 700A**++/ 700B**++/ 800A
Beech 400A/ Beechjet 400A++/ Hawker 400XP**/ Hawker 400T**
Beechcraft 4000
Bombardier BD-7001A10(Global Express)/ BD700-1A11 (Global 5000)/ BD100-1A10 (Challenger 300/350)/ CL-600-1A11 (CL-600)/CL-600-2A12 (Challenger 601)/ CL-600-2B16 (Challenger 601-3A/ 604/604DX/ 605)/ CL-600-2B19 (CRJ100/200)/ CL-600-2C10 (CRJ700)/ CL-600-2D15 (CRJ705)/ CL-600-2D24 (CRJ900)/ CL-600-2E25(CRJ1000).
Canadair Challenger 300/ 601/ 604
Cessna 500/ 510/ 525/525A/ 525B/ 525C/ 550/ 552/ 560/ 560XL/ 560XLS/ 650**/ 680/ 750
Dassault Falcon Mystere 20 series C++/ Mystere 20 Series D++/ Mystere 20 Series E++/ Mystere 20 Series F++/ Mystere 20 Series G++/ 10/ 20C-C5/ 20-D5/ 20-E5/ 20-F5/ 50/ 50EX/ 200/ 900/ 2000/ 7X/ 900C/ 900EX/ 2000EX/
Embraer145/ 145ER/ 145MR/ 145LR/ 135ER/ 135LR/ 135KE/ 135KL/ 135BJ/ 135BJ/ 145XR/ 145MP/ 145EP/ 500/ 505
Global Express
Global 5000
Gulfstream IV/ Galaxy/ 100/ G150/ G200/ G280/ GVI(650)/ 650ER/ GIV-X / G150/ SP/ G300/ G350/ G400/ G450/ G-V/ G500/G550/
Hawker 800XP/850XP/Horizon /900XP/Hawker 1000/Hawker 750
Learjet 24/24A/24B/24B-A/24C/24D/24D-A/24E/24F/24F-A/ 25 /25A/ 25B/ 25C/ 25D/ 25F/ 28/ 29/ 31/ 31A/ 35/ 35A/ 36/ 36A/ 40/ 45/ 45XR/ 55/ 55B/ 55C/ 60
Legacy EMB-135
Mitsubishi MU-300**
Premier 1/1A
Westwind 1121/1121B/1123/1124/ 1124A/1125/Astra SPX